Car truck



Oct. '11, 1932. H. w. ALDEN-ETI'AL 1,882,469

CAR TRUCK Filed Nov. 18. 1927 S Sheets-Sheet 1 /N v5 NTO 1?.5

73-151.? .Qrro R-A/EKS CAR TRUCK Filed Nov. 18. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 H. w. ALDEN ETAL 2,

TIE/467R A TTOENIYS Oct 11, 1932. H. w. ALDEN ETAL v 1,882,469

OAR TRUCK Filed NOV. 18. 1927 3 SheetS-Shet 3 //v vz/vro as 7.45/1? Arron/vim Patented Oct. ll, .1932 i ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT W. ALDEN AND NELSON B. BROWNYEB, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOBS TO THE TmKEN-DETROIT AXLE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION Application filed November 18, 1927. Serial No. 234,084.

This invention relates to car trucks, especially such as are used in connection wlth street cars. One of its principal objects 1s to deaden the noise, jar and vibration. It consists in the parts and in the arran ements and combinations of parts hereina tor de scribed.

In. the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Big. 1 is a plan view of a street car truck embodying our invention, a body bolster being shown in dotted lines,

r ig. 2 is a side elevation of said truck with parts shown in section,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the center bearing on the line 33 in Fig. 4,-

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section through the axis of the center bearing on the line l4.- in Fig. 5,

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal cross section through one-half the truck bolster, the body bolster being shown in elevation; and

ig. 6 is a horizontal section through the center bearing on the line 6i'i-in Fig. 5.

The present truck comprises side frames 1 rigidly connected to other about midway of their length by a be ter 2 and at their ends by end members 3. It also comprises axle housings 4, springs 5 for holding said axle housings in; proper relation to the truck frame, and a live axle 6 in each housing together with road wheels 7 fixed on each axle.

Each truck side frame 1 is preferably made in a single piece, either as a casting or preferably of pressed steel. In the design illustrated in the drawings, the middle portion of the side frame 1 is of maximum depth midwa of its length and decreases towards each end: being flanged at both top and bottom throughout its length to increase its strength. Throughout its middle ortion, the top of the side frame is below t e to of the wheel and thus affords ample space or doc truck and body bolsters. The bottom of t e side frame is close to the line that joins the center lines of the axles. From this middle ortion, the truck side frame inclines upwardly to a maximum heightabove the axle and thence beyond and downwardly below the level of the axle at each end of said frame. Each end of the side frames 1 is provided with a fittin 8 or is otherwise adapted to receive the en of the supporting spring 5: a middle portion of each side frame 1s provided with a fitting 10 that is rigidly secured thereto and de nds therefrom and is adapted to receive t e inner ends of the supporting springs 5. These springs 5 are leaf-springs of common type and are shackled against the bottom of the axle housing.

Each leaf-spring 5 is about half the length the side frame and has one end mounted at one end of the side frame and the other end mounted near the middle of the side frame. The fittings 8 at the ends of the side frame have a shank portion 11 of substantially the same cross section as the endportion or the side frame against which they fit and to which they are riveted or otherwise rigid ly secured. The projecting portions of these end fittings are m theformof housings or chambers 12 that open downwardly to form a hollow chamber that is closed by a cap or closure plate 13 secured to the bottom of said fitting by cap screws 14 or like devices. In the interior of the top of the housing or chamber and also on the interior of the closure cap formin the bottom of said chamber are transverse y extendin ribs 15 spaced from the front and back wal s of said housing. Blocks 16 of rubber or other suitable resilient material are mounted between these ribs on the u or and lower sides of the leaf spring w 10h projects into said housing throng an openin '17 provided therefor in the inner wall t ereof, that is, in the back wall of the front housing and the front wall of the back housing. The end of the leaf spring has riveted or otherwise secured thereto a member 18 that is I-shaped in section and of such sizethat the rubber blocks will'lie between and bear against the flan s thereof.

T e upper portion of the fitting ,10 is of angular shape with a vertical portion 19 that is riveted or otherwise secured to the side frame and with an inwa'rdl projecting lower portion that extends on or the side frame. This fitting is provided with two chambers 20 adapted to receive rubber blocks 21 that support the inner ends of the front and rear springs respectively Each of these chambers 1s in the form 0 a housing open at the bottom and with an opening 21a in its outer wall adapted to receive the end of the spring. Thebottom opening is covered by-a cap or closure plate 22 secured by cap screws 23 or the like. Theend of the spring has a member 24 riveted thereto whose end is enlarged around the bent end of the spring, thus forming a large bearin surface. In each' chamber is a block 25 0% rubber, preferabl a single piece, with a recess in its midd e to receivethe end of the leaf spring but otherwise filling the recess in the housing and being placed under compression by the pressure of the screws that hold the closure plate.

In the case of the end fittings, the blocks of rubber are wholly above and below the spring and do not reach the end walls of the chamber; and in consequence of this arrangement, the adjacent ends of the springs are free to move endwise to a limited extent in said fittings. In the case of the housings at the middle of the side frames, however,

. the recesses are completely filled with the rubber, and the leaf springs have very little or nocapacity for movin endwise t erein. The principal reason for t is difference is to better enable the truck to ride over obstructions without materially deflecting the axle from its proper position at right angles to the track. 4

As this truck is especially desi ed for an underhung worm drive wherein t e propeller shaft makes an angle with the ground, it is advantageous to mount the axle housing with its bottom tilted at substantially the same angle to the ground as that made by the propeller shaft, as this arrangement makes it feasible to use with an underhung worm drive the same axle housing of polygonal section'that can be used with other types of drives. With pressed steel axle housings this arrangement is effected by means of a saddle plate or block 26 mounted on the top of the axle housing with its bottom inclined to rest flatwise against the inclined top of an axle housing and with depending shoulders that fit against the sides of the housing and with its ends prolonged and formed with vertical perforations therethrough for clamping bolts 27. The top of this saddle block is recessed to receive a block 28 of wood or other non-resonant material suitable for receiving and deadening the impact of the side frame tion of the bottom of the housing is upwardly a from the end of the side frame toward the middle thereof.

In the construction shown, the truck bolster 2 is in the form of a hollow box girder comprising two side members 32 of substantially Z-shaped section arranged with their webs vertical and with their top flanges 33 facing outwardly, and with the bottom flanges 33a facing inwardly. The top of the truck bolster is covered by a cover plate 34 which rests on and is rigidly secured to the outstanding top flanges 33 of the Z-shaped side members 32 of said bolster; and the inwardly projecting bottom flanges 33a of said side members are connected by a bottom plate 34a which rests on said bottom flanges and is welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. The truck bolster 2 gradually decreases in depth from its middle towards each end where its upper portion is ri idly secured to the inwardly projecting top ange of the adjacent, truck side frame 1 by means of a gusset plate '35. Each end of the truck bolster is also supported on and rigidly secured to the bottom flange of the adjacent truck side frame 1 by angle-shaped brackets I 36 that are rigidly secured to said bottom flange and to the sides of the channel-shaped body portion 32 of the box girder bolster. The ends of the bottom plate 33a of the truck bolster are provided with depending end flanges 34?) that are rigidly secured flatwise to the inner face of the vertical web of the adjacent side frame and thus form additional means for rigidly securing the ends of the truck bolster to the truck side frame members. This fixed. bolster construction allows the truck to be built up as a complete rigid unit with no loose metallic parts, therebyeliminating transom and bolster maintenance and also eliminating noise.

At the center of the truck the top or cover plate 34 of the truck bolster 2 is provided lie with an opening 37 adapted to receive a supporting member or bracket 38 for the upstanding center or king pin 39 of the center bearing of the truck. The center bearing support 38 rests in the channel-shaped body portion 32 of the truck'bolster 2 immediately elow the opening 37 in the top plate 34 thereof and is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom and side walls of said channel. The top of the center bearing support 38 is provided with a circular recess 40 having a central hole 41 adapted to receive and F41 port the lower end of the center pin 39. e

center pin 39 is firmly held in the hole 41 in the bottom of the circular recess 40 in the center bearing support 38, preferably b means of a cross pin 42, which exten s through registerin holes in'said support and in the lower end said center pin.

Firmly seated on the bottom of thecircular recess in the top of the center bearing support 38 is a circular cup bearing 43 having a central circular opening through which the center pin 39 pro ects. The cup bearing 43 has its upper surface formed into a concave bearing surface of spherical form. Resting on the concave bearing surface of the cup bearing 43 is an annular bearing member 44- whose lower surface is also spherical to fit the concave upper surface of said on hearing. The annular bearing 44 loose y sur rounds the center pin 39 and has a loose fit in a the circular recess 40 in the center bearing support 38. The upper surface of the annular bearing member 44 is flat; and resting on this flat surface is a cylindrical bearing sleeve 45 which loosely surrounds the center pin 39. The cylindrical bearing sleeve is rovided with an annular base flange 46 having a spherical surface adapted to engage the inner periphery of a hardened steel ring 40a which is press-fitted in an annular recess provided therefor in the upper end of the cicular recess 40 in the top of the center bearing support 38. g

The portion of the bearing sleeve 45 located above its base flange 46 tapers slightly and fits in a tapered hole provided therefor in the center of the lowermost one of a pair of horizontally disposed rectangular center plates 47 and 48, the lowermost center plate 48 being supported on the base flange 46 of 4d the bearing sleeve 45. The two center plates are separated by block 49 of rubber or other insulating material; and said plates and said block are provided at their centers with vertically alined holes adapted to receive the center pin, which fits loosely therein. The upper end of the center pin 39 extends into a recess 50 provided therefor in the bottom surface of the body bolster 51 of the car and secured to the bolster by means of a locking member 52 slidably mounted in a cross slideway 53 provided therefor in the bottom surface of said bolster or in top of upper center plate 47 The locking member 52 is shown in the form of a plate whose inner end 5.7. portion is bifurcated to closel embrace an annular groove 54 in the periphery of the center pin, thereby firmly securing the same to the body bolster.

The upper and lower center plates 47 and 6t 48, respectively, are attached to the bottom flanges of the body bolster 51, with the rubber block 49 firmly clamped therebetween, by means of upstanding screw studs 55, which are threaded into bottom center plate 48 adja- 05 cent to the four corners thereof and extend loosely through registering openings provided therefor in the fourcorners of the upper center plate 47 and inthe base flanges of said body olster and are threaded at their upperends to receive nuts "56. Preferably, washers of rubber or other suitable resilient insulating material are interposed between the nuts 56 and the base flanges of the body bolster. As shown in the. drawings the opposing surfaces of the top and bottom center plates 47 and 48 are provided with marginal flanges and a series of longitudinal and cross ribs, the ribs of one plate being preferably arranged so that they do not register with those of the other plate. By this arran ment the rubber block is firmly clamped tween the upper and lower center plates. By this mounting of center bearing plates, the body center plate 47 and the truck center plate48 are firmly locked together against displacement by relative vertical movement, but are free to swing on a vertical axis or to tilt on a horizontal axis relative to each other. At the same time, the rubber serves to insulate the center bearing and not only deadens noise and jarring but affords additional flexibility to said bearing.

Each side bearing comprises horizontally disposed top and bottom side bearing plates: 57 and 58 which extend inwardly over the truck side frame and outwardlybeyond said side frame and are separated by a block 59 of rubber or other insulating material. The bottom side bearing plate 58 has a depending flange 60 riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the outer side face of said side frame adjacent to the ends of the truck bolster; and the to and bottom side bearing plates are provi ed with marginal flanges thereby forming a seat for the insulating block 59 located between said plates. The longitudinal middle portion of the upper side bearing plate has an upwardly offset bearing surface for cooperation with a downwardly oil'- set bearing surface on the bottom of the body bolster. The top bearing plate 57 is firmly clamped down on the rubber block 59 by means of depending screwstuds 61, which are fixed to the four corners of said top plate having their lower ends threaded to receive nuts 62. The studs at the outer corners of the upper plate extend downwardly through openings provided therefor in the bottom rubber block 59 and the side bearing plate 58; and the studs at the inner corners extend downwardly through registering openings in the rubber block, the. top flange of the side frame and the gusset plate 35, the stud holes in the bottom plate, side fram'e'and gusset lat-c being large enough to permit limited orizontal sliding movement of these members relative to each other and to the top plate. With this construction of side bearing, the rubber pad is capable of yielding to permit tilting of the body bolster, it tends to prevent undue freedom of tilting and likewise tends to deaden the noise and ar incident thereto. Washers 63 of rubber or other insulating material are interposed between the nuts on the outer studs and the lower bearing plate and between the nuts on the inner studs and the gusset plate 35. v

The hereinbefore described side and center bearing construction allows the truck to turn freely under the car andthe body to roll or rock on the truck and to shift horizontally thereof in all directions; and it also serves to deaden the noise, jar and vibration and afi'ords additional flexibility to said bearings, while the cushion connections formed by tberubber pads between ends of the truck springs and truck side frames cooperate with the side and center bearings to minimize jarring and jolting when stopping and starting the car.

What we claim is:

1. A street car construction comprising a truck, a body bolster, a center bearing comprising a center pin detachably secured to said truck and to said body bolster, a bearing sleeve loosely surrounding said center pin and supported on said truck for rotary and tilting movement, top and bottom center bearing plates supported on said bearing sleeve and provided. with. openings loosely surrounding saidcenter pin, a block of rubber or the like located between said top and bottom bearing plates and fasteners extending through registering openings in said bolster, rubber block and the top and bottom vbearing plates for securing the rubber block and bearing plates to the bolster.

2. A street car construction comprising a truck, a body bolster, a center bearing comprising a center pin detachably secured to said truck and to said body bolster, a bearing sleeve loosely surrounding said center pin and supported on said truck for rotary and tilting movement, top and bottom center bearing plates provided with openings adapt- 'd to loosely surround said center pin, a. block of rubber or the like located between said top and bottom bearing plates, and fasteners extending through registering-openings in said bolster, rubber block and the top and bottom bearing plates, nuts on the upper ends of said screw studs, and washers of rubber or the like on said screw studs between the nuts thereon and said body bolster, the openings in the bolster and top plate being larger than the fasteners which extend therethrough. 4

3. A street car construction comprising a truck, a body bolster, a center bearing comprising a center pin detachably secured to said truck and to said body bolster a bearing sleeve loosely surrounding sai center pin and supported on said truck for rotary and tilting movement, top and bottom center bearing plates supported on said bearing in the-rubber block top body bolster, nuts onthe upper ends of said sleeve and provided with openings loosely her or the-l bottombearing plates, upstanding screw studs threaded on the bottom bearing plate and extending through registering openings earing plate and screw studs, and washers of rubber or the like on said screw studs between the nuts thereon and said body bolster.

4. A street car construction comprising a truck, axle housings, leaf springs having their middle portions secured to said axle housings, blocks of rubber or the like mounted on said truck and ada ted to receive the ends of said springs. a ho y bolster, a center bearing including acenter pinjsecured to said truck and to said body, bolstentop and bottom center plates secured to said body bolster and having openings forithe center pin, a support on said truck for the bottom center plate. and a block of rubber or the like located between said top and bottom bearing plates.

5. A street car construction comprising a truck, axle housings, leaf springs having their middle portions secured to said axle housings, blocks of rubber or the like mount-- ed on Said truck and adapted to receive the ends of said springs, a body bolster, a center bearing including a center pin secured to said truck and to said body bolster,-top and bottom center plates secured to said bodv bolster, and havinglopenings for the center pm, a rotatable and'tiltable support on said truck for the bottom center plate, a-block of rubber or the like located between said top and bottom bearing plates, side bearings comprising top and bottom plates secured to said truck beneath the body bolster, and a block of rubber clamped between the top and bottom bearing plates of each side bearing.

6. A street our construction comprising a truck, a body bolster, a center bearing comprising a center bearing support secured to said truck and provided at its top with a circular recess having a central opening in the bottom thereof, a center pin having its lower end seated in said opening and its upper end secured to said body bolster, an annular cup bearing firmly seated in said re cess and having a spherical upper surface, an annular bearing member having a spherical bottom surface resting on the spherical top surface of said cup bearing, a cylindrical sleeve resting on said bearing member, top and bottom bear ng plates secured to said body bolster, and having openings adapted to receive said center pin, the bottom plate being supported on said bearing sleeve, and a block of rubber or the like located between said top and bottom center plates, said center. in loosely fitting the openings in the e confined between said top and I 1,ssa,4ee

annular bearing. cylindrical sleeve, and top and bottom bearing plates.

7 A truck for street cars comprising side frames, end members rigidly connecting the ends of said side frames, and a bolster in the form of a hollow box girder rigidly connecting the middle portions of said side frames said bolster comprising two side members 0 substantially Z-shaped section arranged with their webs vertical, with their top flanges facing outwardly and with their bottom flanges facing inwardly, a cover plate resting on and rigidly secured to the top flanges of said side members, and a bottom plate resting on and rigidly secured to the bottom flanges of said side members.

8. A truck for street cars comprising side frames, end members rigidly connecting the ends of said side frames, and a bolster in the form of a hollow box girder rigidly connecting. the middle portions of said 'side frames, said bolster comprising two side members of substantially Z-shaped section arranged with their webs vertical, with their top flanges facing outwardly and with their bottom flanges facing inwardly, a cover plate resting on and rigidly secured to the top flanges of said side members, and a bottom.

I portin said body bolster.

ilate resting on and rigidly secured to the *ottom flanges'of said side members, said bottom plate having depending end flanges rigidly secured to said side frames.

9. A truck for street cars comprising side frames, end members rigidly connecting the ends of said side frames, and a bolster in the form of a hollow box girder ri idly connecting the middle portions of sai frames said b0 ster comprising stantially Z-shaped section arranged with their webs vertical, with their top flanges facing outwardly and with their bottom flanges facin inwardly, a cover plate restin on and rigid y secured to the top flanges 0 said side members, a bottom plate resting on and rigidly secured to the bottom flanges of said side members said bottom plate having depending end flanges rigidly secured to said side frames, gusset plates rigidly secured to the top of said b0 ster and the to s of the adjacent side frames and angle brac ets rigidly secured to said bolster and to thesaid side frames.

10. A street car construction comprising a truck, a body bolster, a center bearing comprising a center pin detachably secured to said truck and to said body bolster, a bearing sleeve loosely surrounding said center pin and supported on said truck for rotary and tilting movement, and a center bearin plate supported on said bearing sleeve an sup- 11.- street car construction comprising a truck provided at its center with a circular recess havingboan opening in the bottom thereof, a body later, a center pin havtwo side members of subing its lower end seated in said opening and its upper end secured to said body bolster,

an annular cup bearing seated in said recess and having a spherical u per surface, an annular bearing member aving a spherical bottom surface resting on the spherical upper surface of said cup bearing, a cylindrical openings in said annular bearing, said cylindrical. sleeve and said plate.

Signed at betroit, M1chigan,this' 15th day of November, 1927.

HERBERT ALDEN. NELSON R. BROWNYER. 

